The Narrative Structure and Postclassical Reality in G. R. Martin’s Epic Fantasy Novels A Song of Ice and Fire and the Television Series Game of Thrones

Abstract

The classical novels of the 19th century corresponded with early modern national society. At the beginning of the 21st century, serials have replaced classical novels in structuring the form of social reality. The narrative structure of Game of Thronescorresponded with postclassical, postcolonial social reality. The co-existence of different genres, the different types of co-existence between “realistic medieval” and mythological reality, the co-existence of different narrators without a dominant point of view, and the asynchrony of episodes and the dramatic unexpected turns of plot are specific features of forming non-linear space and time. The specific structure of narrative is connected with the specific position of the author and the relationship between the author, the narrators, and power. The depreciation of the ground mythological structure of narrative is a cause of the inflation of catharsis, and induces unlimited series events or an unfinished principal plot. Features of the narrative of Game of Thronesare correlated with the postclassical situation of the co-existence of different social phenomenon that deny each other, but are forced to be connected.

“Day of Wrath” in the Mirror of Hybrid Fantasy: Typological Similarities of A Song of Ice and Fire by G. R. R. Martin and Hard to Be a God By the Strugatsky Brothers — A Secondary Publication

“…Although Hard to Be God is considered a science fiction and fantasy novel in publishing practices, while A Song of Ice and Fire is shelved as fantasy, researchers have noted the dominant presence of historical novel features in both cases [3,4] . The storyline of the medieval world in Hard to Be God, related to intrigue and coup d'état, does not contain overtly fantastic elements.…”

“…The distinction is articulated in the observation that Frodo's quest represents a fundamentally Christian plot structure, involving a man facing monstrous forces, a narrative tradition that has traditionally shaped modern society [4] . In Strugatsky's and Martin's works, the Christian plot of self-sacrifice is replaced by a plot of vengeance with retribution exceeding the scale of the original evil.…”

“…Analyzing the finale of the IP series, researchers note its raggedness, connected with the incompleteness of Arya's, Jon's, and Bran's lines: "The deaths of the heroes are many -but no catharsis" [4] . The nonlinearity of time in Martin's novel series, the lack of an "objective" narrator, the post-classical narrative model, and the complexity of the plot lines -all these do not allow "screenwriters to complete the movie saga in the traditional way.…”

“…The nonlinearity of time in Martin's novel series, the lack of an "objective" narrator, the post-classical narrative model, and the complexity of the plot lines -all these do not allow "screenwriters to complete the movie saga in the traditional way. As a result, it either breaks off or goes into infinity" [4] . In a way, the catharsis in Martin's work lacks a singular unified point of view, a central moral or narrative anchor.…”